Unit: Mitosis & Cancer (DL-friendly)
In this 5-lesson (75m each) distance-learning unit on mitosis, students begin by drawing onion root tip cells on screen, review their preconceptions of cancer, analyze graphs of cancer statistics, learn about how cancer cells behave differently due to 2 types of mutations.
At the end, SWBAT
explain how the cell cycle relates to cancer and
use a manual of treatments, cancer stages, and randomly-assigned pathology reports from patients to identify and explain how 2 treatments might affect cell activity in the patient and the pros/cons of each.
NGSS: Builds towards HS-LS3-2 and HS-LS1-4. Lesson 1’s checkpoints builds towards HS-LS1-1.
Prior to unit: distribute Cancer Consent Form to identify students who may need alternate assignment (Go Go Stem Cells! worksheet) or to be excused from specific portions.
Lesson 0 (slides)
Goal: Draw cells dividing and learn about how mitosis leads us to grow, then calculate how much time cells spend in each phase of mitosis
1. Opening
Spotlight: James West
2. How do we grow and develop?
Task - Onion Root Tips (5pts)
3. Count & Calculate:
% of cells in Pass Me a Taco!=break=
4. Pass Me A Taco (A & B) Typing Test (8pts)
5. Closing
Lesson 1 (slides)
Goal: Self-assess our preconceptions about cancer. Compare cancerous vs. noncancerous cells.
1. Opening - Check In & Consent
Video: Do cell phones cause cancer?
Spotlight: Yamicia Connor
2. Graphing Cancer
Incidence/Frequency
Income Inequality
3. What do we know about cancer? T/F
=break=
4. Practice Draw: Anaphase & Telophase
5. Independent Time
Closing
Lesson 2 (slides) (student assignment)
Goal: Examine how cells respond to programming & learn about 2 major mechanisms for cancer
1. Opening
Graph: Breast Cancer
Review: Mitosis, Stem Cells
2. How do cancer cells behave differently?
3. What causes cancer?
Proto-oncogene
Tumor suppressor
break
4. Independent Time
Closing
Lesson 3 (slides) (student group assignment) (oncology intern handbook)
Goals: Learn about diagnostic tools & treatments. Diagnose & explain a treatment plan.
1. Opening
Review: #7 of Homework; student ideas about cancer & cell cycle
SEL: An Ocean of Feelings
2. What is Pathology?
a. Stages of Breast Cancer
b. Diagnostic Tests
3. Get to know your patient & their cancer
c. Treatments
=break=
4. Independent Time
5. Presenting Rounds
6. Closing
Patient Sign-Up Slide. 2 students per patient.
Instructions for group assignment: Copy & share group assignment with class period and ask students to sign up for a patient. on slide 2 (see left). Randomly selected student presents for each slide at end.
Assignment includes links to resources, instructions, and oncology intern handbook (see images for more)
Sample answer page w/ explanations.
Sample pathology report with blank prompts (linked to other slides in the deck that give instructions)
